The Journey
by ninjasandbacon
Summary: She looks at him, body tense. Every part of her wants to scream at him, to tell him he's wrong. That they can be together if they both truly wanted it.


He hates when people leave him. Ever since his parents' divorce, he just can't stand the thought of being without someone he loves. Maybe that's why he finds it so hard to let go of her. To even think about forgetting her is agonizing. Maybe that's why he can hardly bear to be in her presence, knowing that if he even gets near her again, the outcome of his near future would be in her hands.

He loves her, but sometimes, he hates her for making him feel so vulnerable.

--

Its odd when he finally sees her again. In his mind, he'd always assumed he would see her flaunting her flavor of the week. It was that sort of image that made him avoid anywhere she would go. But instead, he sees her alone in a bar, looking lonelier than she had when they parted. He's not sure what he ought to do, but either way, he knows he has to save her.

In the end, he calls Blair, pleading with the brunette so that the girl of his dreams wouldn't get carted off mysteriously. After several minutes of begging, the dark haired vixen agrees, and tells him to get out of sight. Instead, he watches quietly, hidden by the dark, as the love of his life is saved.

And that, he decides, is the moment where the holes in his heart opened up once more and he began missing her again.

--

She wakes up, head spinning. Through the clouded haze, she realizes she's at home, tucked safely in her own bed. She runs a hand over the silk blanket, still not sure how it got there. She manages to sit up and she's greeted by the unexpected. Just across from her is her best friend, slumped over in a chair, fast asleep.

"Blair," she calls, voice hoarse. She waits until the brunette stirs before gesturing towards the room. "How..?"

Blair offers a smile before the words leave her lips. "Dan."

And that was all it took for Serena to realize she couldn't go much longer without seeing him.

--

He sees her again sooner than expected and this time he's not sure whether he's happy or shocked. Both, he decides, watching as she maneuvers her way through the bookstore, easily stepping past two law students, who leer at her once her back is turned. For a second, Dan sees red, and then he realizes that he's gripping onto the wooden bookcase with an unnecessary force. He relaxes his grip just as she reaches him, nervous smile in place.

"Hey."

"Hi," he replies, not sure what to say. "You look better."

Her mouth twists into a wry smile and he knows she's aware of what he's talking about. "Blair told me it was you who called her and ever since, I've been wondering how you found me."

"Manhattan's not that big of an island." He murmurs, suddenly unable to keep his eyes off her perfectly glossed lips.

She nods, cheeks flushing for some reason. "I've been looking for you actually. I wanted to thank you."

"Its no problem." He says hastily, grinning at her. They stand there for another minute or two, both unable to form a proper sentence. "Well, I guess, I'll see you around then." Dan finally mumbles, turning to leave.

"Dan," she calls, making him turn sharply. "Do you think we could get together sometime?" _And not talk._ She adds silently, too afraid to bring up their past.

He smiles, because whether he approves or not, he still misses her. "What are you doing right now?"

"Doing something with you?" she giggles and immediately they're both transported to the night they declared their love for each other.

"How does lunch sound?"

"Perfect."

--

She sits across from his, blue eyes sparkling as she takes him in, properly. He's no longer the teenage boy she had fallen for, he's matured. His shoulders are broader, his muscles more defined. However the things she loves about him are still the same. The way his hair borders between too long and too short; the way his tie is always crooked as if waiting for her to lean over and straighten it. She loves the little things, knowing he does about her too.

An amused smile is plastered on his face as he realizes she's checking him out, probably unaware he's doing the same to her. His smoldering brown eyes travel from her eyes to her lips, those oh so kissable lips. They shift downward, and he can't help but notice how snugly her v-neck hugs her and how it accentuates some of her most brilliant features.

Finally, she breaks the silence, still wondering where the waitress is. "How have you been?"

"I'm working on my book." He shrugs, taking a sip of his drink. "Which is the reason why I'm single ironically."

A eyebrow shoots up, questioning him.

"I can't hold a relationship yet I'm writing a love story." He explains, shaking his head. "So how about you?"

She hides a smile, secretly elated that there's no one in his life. "I'm like you, single."

"Would it be wrong of me to say that I'm glad to hear that?"

"Not at all," she smiles, fighting the blush that yearned to be on her cheeks. "As long as it isn't wrong for me to say the same, that is."

--

"Hey B," Serena murmurs happily, practically skipping into the room."

"You meet up with Dan?" Blair mutters after catching a glimpse of the smile on her best friend's face.

"How'd you know?"

"You look like you just had a nice fuck."

"Blair!" She exclaims, cheeks flaming.

"Don't deny it."

--

He stands under the shower, letting the hot water pound him. His thoughts turn to the blonde he had had lunch with just a few hours ago. She seemed to haunt him, somehow making sure he would never forget her. Not that he wanted to, in the first place.

With a sigh, he turns off the water, knowing the inevitable has come. He's fallen in love with her again. And faster than ever before.

He sits there, clad only in his boxers and his mind flashes back to high school. To the time they were dating. It had taken him five seconds to like her, an hour for him to fall in love with her, and three months to tell her. He goes over each detail of their past relationship carefully, wondering how he had ever lost her. It seems to him, that without her, his life would have been nothing worth remembering.

--

She finds herself nervous. Extremely nervous. He had called her earlier that week, requesting her presence with him on a date. She ran a hand through her hair, feeling her heart beat faster as the sound of the doorbell echoed inside the apartment.

Outside, Dan was standing nervously, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. And over and over again. He was nervous, almost as much as he was on their first date. He knows that this date is their last chance at being together. He had promised himself that he would never put her through the heartache his father did to her mother. A sliver of light interrupted his thinking, making him look up.

She's standing in the doorway, hair curling at her shoulders. She's wearing nothing more than a short dark blue dress. His gaze travels down her endless legs to her stilettos and back up, gazing at the girl he loves. "Wow," he mumbles, clearing his throat. "You look..wow."

"You look good too." She smiles, stepping forward and pecking his cheek. "So where are we going?"

"Its a surprise," he smirks, regaining control. He takes her hand, leading her out the door. Outside stands a shiny dark blue vespa, matching her dress. He watches as delight spreads across her face, and he gestures to the vespa, inviting her to climb on. He settles nicely behind her, trying to focus more on keeping his hands on top of hers on the handlebars than how close they are.

--

To his surprise, the evening goes well and as expected, he finds himself wanting her more and more. At around eleven, they're back at his apartment, drunk from each other's presence. Then out of nowhere, his mouth betrays him. "I can't seem to forget you."

"Do you want to?" She asks, her voice low and blue eyes wide. She's scared now, a part of her beginning to think that the whole reason of the date was for him to get her out of his system. A final last date.

He shakes his head, a small smile adorning his face. "No," he confesses, staring down at his shoes. "but I know its practically impossible for us to be together again, so I _have _to."

She looks at him, body tense. Every part of her wants to scream at him, to tell him he's wrong. That they can be together if they both truly wanted it. Instead, she scoots closer to him, one hand resting delicately on his shoulder. He's taken by surprise as she tugs his shoulder, making it so that he's facing her. A smile flits across her face as she leans in, pressing her lips against his.

His eyes widen, but within a few seconds, he's kissing her back, and pulling her close. It's hardly the most convenient time or place; they are sitting on his couch, both still unsure about the other. But she doesn't care and neither did he.

After what feels like an eternity, she pulls away, nervous once again. "I want to be with you," the words spill from her mouth and she's sure she's going to ramble. "I don't want to keep messing around, Dan. We've both grown up and I don't see why we can't be together and I-"

A low chuckles emits from his throat as he cuts her off, brushing their lips together. He kisses her gently, his tongue caressing hers until he feels her relax. He pulls back, automatically tucking a loose curl behind her ear. "I love you too."

A broad smile is plastered, goofy even, on her face. "I love you." She echoes, throwing her arms around him. Her former worries are gone and now she had a great life to look forward to. It was definitely a night for the books.

Fin.


End file.
